Why The Pill is still the most Effective Contraceptive Method today

Netflix’s educational docu-series called “Explained”, which explains different topics, recently released a few episodes on sex-related subjects. In my opinion, most of the episodes simplify and infantilize extremely complex issues like attraction and sexual fantasies (with a ridiculously “sensual” and sultry voice-over). That said, there is an entire episode dedicated to contraception!

The overview of contraception is informative and interesting, and I highly recommend watching it. Firstly, it provides an in-depth depiction of ovulation and insemination, a biological process on which most of us are not formally educated. Furthermore, they raise a number of important issues about the Contraceptive Pill and IUDs:

1. Prior to determining the precise amount of hormones needed for contraceptive pills, 10 times more than what today we know is needed was used in the pill and tested on women. Many died or suffered from blood clots, cancer, and more. Granted, this happened a long time ago in faraway countries, but this is something to consider when taking relatively new medication. A few decades later, synthetic hormones were developed and used in contraceptive pills, which started to be marketed as not only a way to prevent pregnancy but also as a treatment for PMS and acne. These pills were also prescribed to young girls who weren’t even sexually active yet. One of the pills with synthetic hormones was Yaz, which became the most popular contraceptive pill in the US in the 2000s. That was until many of those taking it started to fall ill and even die from complications. Since then, the company has been sued and is no longer active, but other versions of the pill are still on the market.

2. The episode touches upon how IUDs function: the IUD creates inflammation in the womb which prevents the egg from implanting the womb lining. I’m not sure how many of us are aware that IUDs entail constant inflammation in the body.

3. In the past, older versions of the IUD were marketed to women and turned out to be awful, leading to lethal cervix infections and even coma. Albeit these IUDs are no longer made, but the IUDs we know and use today are…new. Meaning that this generation of women is their control group.

And this is my most important point:

4. From the information provided in the episode, it becomes starkly clear that the reason that The Pill is the most effective contraception method available today is that women keep buying them. A variety of other methods are being developed, but they aren’t being funded or put on trial because there is (supposedly) no market need for these new methods.

It turns out that on a global scale, women are unknowingly self-sabotaging and preventing pharmaceutical companies from developing a safer, healthier alternative. I believe everyone should make her own educated decision, but it is something to think about.